6 Deposits, Refunds and Recovery Rates
- Detailed statistics on the weight and number of containers recovered.
- Summary of overall units recycled, and the per capita statistics.
6.1 Deposit Change
As the industry-owned not-for-profit stewardship agency, Encorp is responsible for managing B.C.’s beverage container system and implementing deposit increases.
Encorp has been operating B.C.’s beverage container system for 25 years and focused on providing a convenient, efficient and environmentally sustainable network for everyone in B.C. In 2018, Encorp increased its recovery rate to 77.4% and focused on finding ways to improve the recovery rate even further. Diverting beverage containers from landfills, oceans and waterways remains one of Encorp’s highest priorities and has informed its mandate over the years.
Encorp is aligned with the goals of the B.C. Government to protect our environment and divert even more plastic and other waste from landfills and the ocean. With the intention of providing an additional incentive for consumers to return their beverage containers on November 1st, 2019, Encorp raised the deposit on all non- alcoholic beverage containers registered in the Return-It system (under and including 1 litre) from 5 cents to 10 cents. This deposit increase applies to 80% of the containers in our system – including ready-to-drink beverage containers such as soft drinks, juice, energy and sport drinks, and water.
Encorp led the change in deposit rates to ensure the increase was managed efficiently and effectively for all British Columbians and the businesses that were impacted by this change. The announcement was made public during Waste Reduction Week through a press release and to help inform the public of this system change, a short but effective marketing campaign throughout B.C. including TV, radio, online video, newsprint and social media.
- TV, Radio, and Pre-Roll
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TV
One 15 second TV spot was created to let viewers know about the deposit increase on beverage containers in B.C. The spot was broadcasted on premium sites like Global TV, CTV and CBC across the province.
Total impressions: 2,603,500
Radio
One 10 second radio spot was created to announce the change. The spot ran in the Lower Mainland and Capital Regional District.
Total impressions: 3,894,310
Pre-Roll
15-second spot ran on YouTube, Bell Media, Rogers Network, Corus Entertainment, CBC and Tremor Video.
Total impressions: 442,425
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Two social media posts were shared through all of our networks and boosted with the objective of informing users of the system change and where they could find more information.
Total Impressions: 1,191,627
- Newspaper
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8 newspaper insertions across the major Vancouver and Victoria Publications, with 1⁄4 page, full colour ads. Newspapers included Vancouver Sun, The Province, Victoria Times Colonist and Globe & Mail.
Total Impressions: 1,987,000
6.2 Recycling By the Numbers
We prevented over 1 billion containers from going to landfills in 2019, ensuring that they were recycled into useful new materials and products. That’s a big win for British Columbia’s environment.
Note: Calculations may show slight variances due to rounding.
Recovery by Weight
In 2019, Encorp Pacific recovered over 93.76 thousand metric tonnes of containers.
Note: Calculations may show slight variances due to rounding.
6.3 Regional Per Capita Returns
| Provincial Totals: | |
|---|---|
| Units Returned | 1,053,684,532 |
| Weight Collected (Tonnes) | 93,763.0 |
| Per Capita Units Returned | 207.8 |
| Per Capita Weight Collected (Kilograms) | 18.5 |
Regional Breakdown:
Note: Calculations may show slight variances due to rounding.
